Director of Estimating and Technical Sales

UPG Company LLC•Houston, TX

23h•$150,000 - $175,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Estimating and Technical Sales is responsible for serving as the technical resource for the Business Development team by supporting customer technical questions, design for manufacturability reviews, and estimation of new part numbers. This ISG-level role requires strong technical manufacturing knowledge, customer-facing communication skills, and the ability to translate customer requirements into accurate, competitive, and manufacturable solutions. Initially, this position will perform quoting and estimating responsibilities directly and, over time, will build and lead a team to support the estimating function across UPG and ISG opportunities.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Business, or a related technical field preferred. Equivalent technical manufacturing, estimating, or industry experience may be considered.
Minimum 7 to 10 years of experience in technical sales support, manufacturing engineering, estimating, quoting, product development, or a related industrial/manufacturing role.
Strong understanding of technical drawings, specifications, materials, manufacturing processes, cost estimation methods, and design for manufacturability principles.
Ability to effectively communicate technical and commercial information to customers, Business Development, engineering, operations, quality, finance, and senior leadership.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office, CRM systems, estimating tools, ERP systems, and the ability to review CAD models, prints, and technical documentation.
Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple opportunities, deadlines, and customer priorities.

Nice To Haves

Experience in aerospace, medical device, CNC machining, injection molding, tooling, or other precision manufacturing environments is preferred.
Prior leadership or team-building experience is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary technical resource for the Business Development team by supporting customer questions, technical discussions, part reviews, and proposal development.
Review customer drawings, specifications, models, and project requirements to evaluate manufacturability, risks, cost drivers, material considerations, and production feasibility.
Prepare accurate estimates and quotations for new part numbers, including material, tooling, labor, machine time, secondary operations, outside services, packaging, freight, and other cost elements as applicable.
Participate in customer calls, technical reviews, and site visits to understand project requirements, communicate UPG capabilities, and support customer confidence in proposed solutions.
Work closely with the BD team to evaluate new opportunities, identify technical risks, support pricing strategy, and ensure proposals are aligned with customer expectations and UPG capabilities.
Partner with engineering, tooling, quality, production, finance, and operations to validate assumptions, confirm feasibility, and develop competitive solutions for new and existing customers.
Support the transition of awarded quotes into new product launch activities by sharing technical assumptions, cost basis, customer requirements, and key risks with internal teams.
Develop and improve estimating tools, templates, procedures, and standards to ensure consistent, scalable, and accurate quoting practices across the organization.
Initially perform quoting and estimating responsibilities directly, with the expectation of building, training, and leading an estimating team as business needs grow.
Maintain awareness of manufacturing cost drivers, supplier capabilities, industry benchmarks, and competitive considerations that may impact pricing and customer proposals.
Travel approximately 25% to 40% to support customer meetings, technical reviews, ISG collaboration, supplier visits, and business development activities.
Maintain organized records of estimates, assumptions, customer requirements, quote history, and project handoff documentation to support transparency and future reference.
Perform assigned duties in accordance with documented procedures, work instructions, customer requirements, and applicable quality system expectations.